The UK experienced its coolest summer since 2015, according to preliminary data from the Met Office, marking a notable deviation from the string of increasingly hot and dry summers in recent years.
While there were a few warm days, they failed to reach the intense heat seen in previous summers, leaving many Britons feeling underwhelmed by the season.
The cooler summer was not felt uniformly across the UK. Southern and eastern regions of England, including London, largely experienced typical summer conditions, while the North West and Scotland saw much higher rainfall, fewer sunny days, and generally cooler temperatures.
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August brought Storm Lilian, highlighting a particularly active storm season, the most prolific since the introduction of storm naming almost a decade ago.
Despite the cooler summer, when viewed through a broader historical lens, it still aligns with the ongoing trend of climate change, which has led to generally warmer summers over time.
Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle emphasized that while climate change is making hotter summers more common, natural variability ensures that cooler summers like this one still occur occasionally.
June and July were especially cool due to northern winds drawing down cold Arctic air, though August saw a slight warm-up with westerly winds bringing in milder Atlantic breezes.
The average daily temperature in England was only marginally below normal, but Scotland and Northern Ireland were cooler by 0.4°C and 0.45°C, respectively.
Northern Ireland, in particular, experienced a cooler-than-average summer.
Rainfall patterns also varied significantly, with Scotland enduring a particularly wet summer, receiving over one-and-a-half times its average August rainfall.
Some areas, including Glasgow and Renfrewshire, saw double their typical rainfall. In contrast, England and Wales experienced drier conditions, with the Midlands receiving only a third of their expected rainfall and Wales and Northern Ireland seeing reduced sunshine levels.
Only the South and East of England enjoyed more sunshine than usual.
Despite the cooler conditions, this summer is still part of the broader pattern of warming driven by climate change, even as natural variability continues to influence year-to-year weather patterns.
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